1. Technical Field
The invention relates to electronic communication systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for organizing and displaying Internet and telephone information on an Internet-capable appliance from databases distributed over an electronic network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic networks are increasingly being used to store and distribute a variety of data. Examples of such electronic networks include the Internet, and intranet systems. For example, a World Wide Web (Web) page may include text, graphical displays, video displays, animation, and sounds.
The Web is usually accessed via telephone lines by a modem-connected computer. However, the Web may also be accessed through other devices, including personal data assistants, fax machines, televisions, and Internet-capable telephones. One telephone that could be used to provide Web access is described in M. Valentaten, B. Moeschen, Y. Friedman, Y.-T. Sidi, Z.
Bikowsky, Z. Peleg, Multi-Mode Home Terminal System that Utilizes a Single Embedded General Purpose/DSP Processor and a Single Random Access Memory, U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,940 (Oct. 5, 1993).
A Web page is most commonly encoded in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), although other formats are available. HTML can be used to link text and/or images, such as icons, to another document or section of a document. The user activates a link by clicking on it, and the linked database is directly accessed. Links are used to access related information, or to contact a person or entity.
An Internet-capable telephone may connect to the Web, provide e-mail services, store an address book, as well as provide traditional telephone functions. In addition to such traditional functions, advanced functions may be provided that include caller ID, speed dial, call waiting, call forwarding, and redial.
However, Internet functions and traditional telephone functions often conflict. Telephone functions are typically interrupt functions. Thus, a telephone call may interrupt any Internet function. For example, a telephone call during a Web session may require termination of that session.
Furthermore, the screen size of an Internet-capable telephone is limited. In many personal computers, a common display technique, referred to as "windows" is used. However, there may not be sufficient available screen display space to permit the simultaneous display of an Internet graphical user interface, e.g. Including multiple windows, and a telephone function screen on an Internet-capable telephone. The display of a telephone function screen can therefore cause the user to lose track of Internet functions being performed at the time of the telephone call.
Because of the small screens, display "real estate" is very valuable. Several prior art schemes attempt to solve the problems inherent to use of such restricted screen display space. Screen organizers, such as status bars, tool bars, scroll bars, buttons, and menu bars, are frequently placed around the edges of the screen. Such screen organizers are used to provide access to functions, commands, or files that are not currently displayed on the screen.
However, such organizers still significantly limit the viewable area available to display data. Screen organizers are displayed and occupy screen real estate, even when they are not being used. For example, Web pages include not only the viewable display area but also controls for the browser functions. These controls remain on display whenever the browser application is active. Furthermore, these screen organizers are not automatically displayed and must be manually pulled down.
One presently available product, Le. Web TV, includes a slide-up window that is manually activated by the user. When activated, the window slides up to cover a previous screen display. The window is then manually de-activated, and retracts to show the original display. However, such slide-up window is not displayed automatically in response to specific operating conditions. Thus, the slide-up window is not interrupt-driven or context sensitive.
It would therefore be an advantage to provide a system that integrates Internet functions with traditional telephone functions. It would be a further advantage if such system provides a manually or automatically controlled user-friendly graphical user interface that maintains the context of a user's activities while permitting control of both Internet and telephone functions. It would be an additional advantage to provide an interrupt driven, context based, extension of available display real estate.